To Be Or Not To Be
by Toxxic-hugs
Summary: He was completely expecting it when she disappeared into the night with a 'Pop' as she disapparated to her home, and didn't even offer him a goodnight. She was going to be a challenge he was looking forward to.
1. I Chapter One

**Author's Note: **Since JK Rowling completely ruined ALL of my favorite pairings, this is AU. This is also a different version of my story- There's A Fine Line -but the only real difference so far...Is the pairings; This one will be Blaise/Hermione and There's A Fine Line is Adrian/Hermione. This is not DH compatible, because I can't seem to bring myself to finish reading it - because I'm lazy, but mostly because my sister gave away all the major spoilers and I don't really have an interest in reading the entire book.

My first Blaise/Hermione story, yay! Little insight - Takes place after the war (FRED IS STILL ALIVE!!!), three years after the trio's sixth year, to which Hermione is now nineteen years old and the year is...1998, I think...?

Also...I'm thinking of changing the title. So this is just a temporary title for the time being. Have any suggestions?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the rights to Harry Potter

.:: To Be Or Not To Be ::.

I.

Hermione Granger was starting to get annoyed. She could feel his eyes - those intense hazel eyes flecked with a grayish blue colour - on her back.

He had been coming for weeks now, watching her all the while pretending to be extremely interested in random books such as _Charm Your Own Cheese_ by Gerda Catchlove, _Hélas, Je me suis Tranfiguré mes Peids (Alas, I have Transfigured my Feet)_ by Malecrit, and _Toadstool Tales_ by Beatrix Bloxam; Sitting on one of the plush seats and peaking over it.

But he never once bought any of the books he looked at. It made her blood boil. Why was he using up a good reading seat just to sit and stare? For that he could just stand outside the large picture window and look in.

And for that matter, why was he even watching her like that? At first she had thought it was because he intent on glaring at her because she had been the first muggleborn in the wizarding world to own a very successful business; **Encre et Papier ­**- Ink and Paper; Especially since Flourish & Blotts had been destroyed in one of the battles during the war.

It was usual for a former Slytherin or two, whom** still** were in disbelief that she - refered to as mudblood to them - had opened her own shop, and so every month or so, look around, glare at her, and walk out. As though someone had told them and they needed to see it to believe it. But no...he stayed, sometimes for hours to watch her.

Today though, he didn't hid behind a book today, no, he was leaning against a bookshelf facing her at the register she was attending, staring unabashedly at her with a darkened look in his eyes. Was that...lust...that had made them turn to an ash colour, like smoldering coals.

She tried to concentrate on the task at hand, putting the books into her computer by hand, because she had always wanted to find a way to show the magically world that muggle contraptions are just as usefully as magic. But his continuous stare was making her fidget, her hand shake, and her head dizzy.

"Good Merlin, you're beautiful" she heard, and it took her a moment to realize that it hadn't just been her imagination.

She lifted her eyes from the computer screen to see him standing on the other side of her counter, his with head in his hands, leaning so that his face was a few inches from her own.

She stared back at him with look the mix of confusion and question, "Excuse me?"

"Oh, I said you were beautiful" he said, in a lazy drawl, and added a seductive smirk. She gave him a once over, and shook her head in confusion.

"Thank...you?" was this ex-Slytherin actually complementing her? She turned from his heated stare and was in the process of adding _Why I Didn't I Die When the Augurey Cried_ by Gulliver Pokeby when she blurted out, "Excuse me, but what did you mean by that remark?"

"What remark?" he retorted as if he didn't understand but she could see his playful way his eyes seemed to dance from the corner of her eyes, as if she amused him.

"That I'm beautiful" she hadn't meant to snap, but it came out the way. She throw him an apologentic look at him before she eyed the work she had finished so far; Only a few more books to go, and she would have all three thousand books organized in her computer's database.

"Well, aren't you?" she could hear that teasing tone playing off of his smooth words.

"Well, yeah" she hissed, glaring at the computer while she saved her progress and began to shut it down because it was nearly time for her to retire for the night but she was determined to figure out what he was getting at, "I mean, no, no, but..."

She paused and look up at him, "Never mind...You're very strange." This time instead of the smirk, his lips played into a goofy smile. His brilliant white teeth gleamed.

"I know"

And with that he withdrew from his stance and made his way to the door. He was opening it, when he threw a look at her from his shoulder, "Aren't you coming?"

Blaise Zabini grinned when she grabbed her purse, and casually walked past him and out the door. He was completely expecting it when she disappeared into the night with a 'Pop' as she disapparated to her home, and didn't even offer him a good-night.

She was going to be a challenge he was looking forward to.


	2. II Chapter Two

Author's Note: Alas, my darlings, I have finally found the inspiration to write a new chapter to this – with the help of Vani

**Author's Note: **Alas, my darlings, I have finally found the inspiration to write a new chapter to this – with the help of Vanilla Ice, Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch, Captain Jack, and the Teriyaki boyz :).

There's A Fine Line hadn't a great a turn out as I thought it would be – no one really remembers Adrian Pucey much sense he was a very minor character in all the Harry Potter books, oh well.

**Big Thanks To:** Celebrytie Aris Channas, Crazy About Him, Airuhkuh, Ginsensu, Little Toaster, Burg girl, The Queen of Mischief, and Love-ipod **for taking the time to review**.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Harry Potter

.: To Be Or Not To Be :.

II.

Hermione was frustrated this morning – her hair was extremely obnoxious that day and broke off four of the teeth of her favorite brush, and now she would have to get another one to replace it.

Not to mention when she had finally tamed her mane of hair, she spent the next hour and a half looking for her wand, that Teddy had hidden last night in spite of his babysitter who had scolded him at for stealing Victorie's toys.

She rubbed at her eyes while she apparated outside her shop, tired from running around after those tykes – why had she even insisted on watching them?

And as she placed her key in the door to unlock it, she almost groaned at the memory of the dark chocolate smudges they had left on her robes, that she would have to hand wash to rid of the stains.

"Good Morning, love" a husky voice broke her thoughts, and she didn't even bother to look up to see who it was – he greeted her like this every morning for the past month since they had had their first conversation, with a smirk and a sleepy look, that suggested he had just woken up, thrown on some clothes, and apparated just in time to annoy her before she had time to get into her shop and conjure up a cup of tea.

She twisted the knob and pushed the door open, leaving him in the entrance way as she made her way towards her desk and placing down her copy of the Daily Prophet on top and sitting down in her black leather chair.

Blaise leaned his elbows unto the counter, with his head being held up by his hands, and he looked at her with a look of excitement, "So, tell me, love – how did the baby sitting go?"

She rolled her eyes at the affectionate name he had begun to call her over the past few weeks, and turned on her computer. She waited until the screen began to change from a jet black to a light blue before she responded, "Extemely awful. I thought I would go bloody mental."

He laughed, a deep throaty laugh, and his eyes seemed more alive then they had been a minute ago, "So I take you're not planning on doing that for a while, right?"

She shot him a questioning look, "I suppose so. Why?"

"Well, I just happen to know for a fact now that you have no plans for the rest of the week. I have this thing – a dinner party – to go to and I wanted to know if you'd like to go with me," he had said the last part more as a statement rather than a question as if he already knew the answer.

She glared at him, but inside she was admiring his sleek charming way of making it seem as if she _needed_ to say yes – even though she had the choice of just saying no. She scoffed, "Who's dinner party?"

He grinned wickedly, "Some prat I grew up with. Absolutely egotistic and narcissistic. And happens to be my very best mate. I think you'd like him once you got to know him."

She was still glaring when she shrugged, but her face softened when she turned away, "I guess I have to, or else you'll be bothering me every morning, don't I?"

"Now why would I do such a horrible thing like that?" he said seriously, his eyes dark and burning into hers.

"Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin" she mocked, and he cracked a smile, "That is true, love. I'll be picking you up here at six on Friday."

He winked, and disapparated leaving Hermione alone and slightly agitated that she was beginning to feel as though he could make her feel left in a daze without him.

...

**Extra Author's Note: **Anyone want to take a guess at who Blaise's best mate is? :)


End file.
